If you’re selling your boat, you probably want the best price possible to be able to afford the down payment on your next watercraft. Getting the best price possible, then, isn’t just about a little extra money; it’s about the boating experience that you will enjoy over the next decade.
Price your boat wisely
Pricing a boat can be somewhat different from pricing a car. The price that you get to ask for a boat can depend greatly on the level of equipment included, evidence of strict maintenance schedules, upgrades done, time of the year and the kind of use that the boat has been put to — freshwater or ocean (saltwater use ages a boat more quickly than freshwater use). With a boat, you need to put in more work finding pricing information online than you would with a car. 
Nevertheless, it’s a good idea to look up NADA Guides for basic benchmarking information. The website includes deep pricing information that lets you include a vast variety of add-on equipment, and allow for several variables, all to make sure that you get a realistic price benchmark.
Once you have a price, you should check it out on as many resource sites as possible. Information from different classifieds will give you a reasonable idea of which way to head.
Use a professional service
It can certainly make sense to try to sell your boat on a classifieds website, rather than a professional marine sales company. You would certainly get to keep more of the price that your boat commands. Nevertheless, there’s a lot to be said for using professional services. Making such a choice, you would protect yourself from unwise sales moves.
For instance, if you were trying to sell a boat in St. Cloud, MN, and you’ve been getting pricing information from advertisements listed in Florida, you could end up greatly underpricing your boat. Unlike cars, the prices of boats tend to greatly vary depending on location. Used boats in Florida tend to be priced lower, because they see use year-round. You’ll get much higher prices in Minnesota, where boats tend to only be used in summer.
Appearances count
Finally, make sure that your boat looks good in every way possible. Begin a thorough maintenance a year or two ahead of the sale, and make sure that you boat is buffed to a high shine when you’re actually ready to sell. Your boat should look perfect in the photos and videos that you put up, and when potential buyers come in.